Arabella bartelloni: the sounds of style
Our second March Closet Portrait features Arabella Bartelloni. Growing up introverted, Arabella often looked to fashion as a way to express herself and find community. As she got older, she began experimenting more with fabrics and silhouettes, eventually finding style inspiration throughout all elements of her day!
Special thank you to the incredible photographer, Amelia Hammond, who made this closet portrait come to life.
Download Arête in the App Store today, follow Vera, and get inspired by her fashion/see her favorite looks!
How did you develop personal style & how did it evolve?
When I was a kid, I loved playing dress up and trying on clothes and doing random things to them. I was always in my own head and trying to figure out what I would wear if I was a pop star! I would play dress up all the time and take fabrics and do random things to it. I always thought I was the next Britney Spears.
Personal style is an interesting term because it’s a collection of what you’re enjoying at a particular time. I was pretty shy until my 20s, so dressing up was a way to give people a glimpse into the things I enjoyed in my free time. Fashion allowed me to showcase things I liked without having an extroverted personality. There was also a community I found around fashion. A lot of popular brands will have a cult following and have a community built in. For example, I used to wear Doc Martens, which meant that I probably used Tumblr and liked Lana Del Rey.
As I got older, I stopped wearing clothing just because of the community around it. I started to recreate styles with the silhouettes I saw. Flaunt Magazine was my introduction to fashion. Of course I also got inspiration from Tumblr, music, and movie characters. I would see the outfits and style them with whatever I had in my closet at the time. I began getting inspiration from all aspects of my life. During this time, I was also inspired by Mazzy Star and would try on a bunch of stuff during the pandemic. Through this, I figured out what fits I liked on myself and what pieces I wanted to add to my closet.
The pandemic was somewhat of a turning point for me. I always enjoyed fashion and the arts, but when you’re young, you feel pressure to “fit in.” When the pandemic happened, that social pressure disappeared. This was a big impact on me and my style.
Where I grew up has a big influence on my style. I grew up in Jersey, and there are all the stereotypical Italian-American styles. I always hated how gaudy older women were when I was younger, but now I’m obsessed with this style! It’s having a moment.
Do you remember a time in your life when getting dressed gave you a boost of confidence?
When I was younger, I moved around a ton. Whenever I went to a new school, my first day outfit was the most important for me. I was meeting new people and wanted to feel confident. If people liked my outfit, I felt like they had similar interests. First day of school at a new school was big for me and I remember those outfits!
Another moment happened during the pandemic. It was my first day being an assistant on a styling shoot, and I didn't know that stylists didn’t have to dress up! I thought I had to act the part and look the part. I put on 4 inch platform boots and a fitted vest and a long leather jacket and my outfit was SCREAMING stylist. Whenever I feel shy or introverted, I always try to put on a pair of heels or a fitted top or nice pair of jeans and that helps me feel better about myself. I always feel like I have more personality when I’m dressing in a way that feels authentic to me.
What do you wear when you feel most confident?
The staple for me has been two things:
Platform boots/shoes, or a really big platform heel! I love being tall and feel like it makes my outfits look better. I buy a lot of pants that are too long, so heels always help. I started wearing heels when I was 18 but have been wearing platforms since I was 13! These have been my staple for a decade.
A cool belt! If I am wearing something that seems boring and put on a belt, I instantly feel more confident.
What do you think about when creating an outfit?
Usually, it depends on how the day is going and where I’m going. I listen to a lot of music. Depending on the music I’m listening to that day or the mood I’m in, my style gets influenced. There’s this one band I really like – they’re called the Cocteau Twins. If it’s a sunny day, I’ll pick something out that is very colorful and eclectic based on how I feel when I listen to this band. I’ll then pick one or two pieces and style my outfit around that. I also really like Vogue Runway and try to mimic those silhouettes!
How important are silhouettes to an outfit and how do you find the right one?
It’s important because, in my head, the silhouette is what makes an outfit work or not. I found the right silhouettes by experimenting in my closet and creating looks. When I see something from an editorial, I will play around with what I have and try to recreate the silhouette. If I don’t have something similar, I will experiment with my clothing.
Let’s say I have a vest and don’t like how the shoulders fit on me. I will then unbutton it and pull it down. Or I will turn it around and see how that looks when worn backwards. I play with my clothes. By playing with fabrics, I start to learn what I like and will then be more intentional when I shop.
I don’t think things need to fit you in a perfect way. Not everything you wear should flatter your body type. You don’t need everything to fit you perfectly. It’s fun to create different silhouettes with clothing and create illusions!
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Some of my inspiration comes from music artists. I like their styles and concert outfits. I like Hope Sandoval from Mazzy Star. I also really like Sade Adu. Not just her music but her style makes sense to me! I also get a lot of inspiration from TV! I love The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The Nanny, Fran Fine always had the best outfits. I really like Gloria Trillo from the Sopranos and Adriana La Cerva. I also love looking at street style. Zoe Kravitz has amazing street style. FKA Twigs is another artist with amazing style. @upnextdesigner on instagram is great to track. I also love the instagram account called @checkthetag on instagram. Also, you can find the stylist of a celebrity that you like on Instagram and see the brands they are styling with.
Favorite way to find new brands?
Anything on social media is helpful because people will tag brands. Fashion Twitter is great. I don’t post on Fashion Twitter but love going on there. @upnextdesigner on instagram and @checkthetag. If I really like how a celebrity is being styled, I try to find the stylist. If someone says they like the style of a celebrity, then I will look for the stylist behind it all!
I really love Tyla! She has such a cool style and everything she has been styled in recently, I’m obsessed with. I don’t know her stylist but I need to find out who it is!
Your anti-gatekeeping advice for fashion?
If you shop on eBay, I recommend waiting until the last 20 minutes to bid on something you like. There’s also a website for Ebay called typohound.com and that website has all of the eBay typos and misspellings for things. If you spelled “Vivienne Westwood” wrong, this website will show you those items that are listed with the misspellings. I will also reverse image search things a lot. There’s also a reddit chat called Find Fashion that I check a lot.
If you could swap closets with one person, who would it be and why?
I would swap closets with Tyla. Or with FKA Twigs! Her style is so eclectic and interesting. Maybe I would also swap with Rihanna!
What's a major fashion red flag?
Judging other people for how they dress. I think the concept of style has changed and people are now striving for individuality and uniqueness. It used to be the reverse – everyone wanted to wear the same thing before. The red flag is thinking you’re better than other people just because your clothes are less accessible. There’s no shame in finding a community in fashion and wearing something similar to other people.
Tell us about the four fits we shot and the occasions, styles, & vibes you associate with each!
Look 1: This is an early evening outfit. I’m probably going to grab a drink with some friends. It’s confident but also casual. It’s a little flirty! Flirty, confident and casual. Maybe I’m going to an art show but not too late at night. If I went out after, I might take off the button up.
Look 2: This outfit would be earlier in the day/afternoon time. I would wear this outfit going shopping with friends or maybe going to a coffee shop. This would be nothing too crazy. I would say this outfit is comfortable. It’s comfy but still has character. This would be a bit maximalist and cute.
Look 3: This is the outfit I would wear on the first day of school. I would also wear this to hang out with friends/going over to someone’s house or a house party during the day. I would also wear this to run errands. It’s very comfortable and flowy. I did not feel restricted in anything. I would say it’s funky and comfortable but still nothing super bold. This is an effortless outfit.
Look 4: This outfit I would wear on a nice summer day to a concert or show. Or I would wear it to the park while having a picnic and hanging out all day. This outfit is a bit more eclectic. The style for this is hip and relaxed. This is collective messy. I feel very calm and relaxed in this and confident. I feel whimsical and like I want to go outside.
